


Perceive with your mind

by rsadelle



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Invisibility, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-09-01 19:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20263138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rsadelle/pseuds/rsadelle
Summary: Harry grabs a piece of paper and scrawls a note:Freshers think a ghost lives here. I told them to stop bothering you even if you are a ghost. If you are, you're probably lonely. You're probably not a ghost, so maybe you have loads of friends and we haven't met because you're busy with them all the time. If you are a ghost, maybe you can knock on my door, or leave a message in the bathroom mirror. Wouldn't want you to be lonely!- Harry (35A)He adds his mobile number to the bottom of the note so whoever's in 35B can text him if they want, then opens his door, crosses the corridor, and slips it under the door of 35B. He waits for a moment, then shakes his head when of course there's no immediate response because of course there isn't a ghost living in 35B. That would be ridiculous.





	Perceive with your mind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hattalove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hattalove/gifts).

> hattalove, I had fun with this, and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Title from Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood."

**September**

A loud shriek wakes Harry up. He's a generally sound sleeper and his room is in a tucked-away corner of the top floor of the residence hall that means there isn't usually noise in the corridor.

Harry stumbles out of bed, tripping twice on his way across the room but catching himself before he can fall. He yanks open the door.

There's no one there. The door to 35B across the corridor slams shut.

"Hello?" Harry calls. "Is everything alright?"

There's no sound from 35B. Harry's yet to meet the person who lives there.

"Hello?" Harry goes farther out into the corridor. When he rounds the corner, he can see a group of what he's pretty sure are freshers a ways down the corridor. They're crowded around one in particular, a girl who's giggling nervously.

Harry heads their way. "Is everything alright?"

The giggling girl lets out a quieter version of the shriek that woke him, then subsides back into nervous giggles.

One of the other girls stares at him with wide eyes, which makes Harry realize he's not wearing anything other than his pants. It turns out not to be about that, because what she asks in a breathless tone is, "Are you the ghost in 35B?"

"I'm in 35A," Harry says before the rest of it sinks in and he frowns at them. "Ghost?"

"Everyone says a ghost lives in 35B," the girl says. "You're right there. Don't you hear the footsteps and doors opening and closing when no one's there?"

Harry has, indeed heard footsteps and doors without seeing anyone, but just because he hasn't seen the person in 35B doesn't mean they aren't there.

"I'm sure it's not a ghost," he says. "Leave 35B alone. Even if it is a ghost that lives there, they deserve to live in peace." He frowns. "Be undead in peace?"

The giggling girl, who's got herself mostly under control now, says, "Aren't you scared to live next to a ghost?"

"I don't think it's a ghost," Harry says, "and even if it is, the only people who've woken me up when I have an eight o'clock lecture the next day are you lot." He gives them his best scowl, which is not particularly fearsome at the best of times and surely isn't at the moment given that he's been rudely awakened and is wearing only his pants.

Three of the girls and one of the boys finally seem to notice that, and there's another round of giggling.

Harry gives them another stern look and turns around to walk away. That leads to even more giggling. Harry keeps walking like it doesn't bother him that a crowd of freshers are looking at his bum. It doesn't, really, although he'd rather it were by his conscious choice and not because he'd leapt out of bed in the middle of the night.

Harry blinks and yawns as he makes his way back round the corner to his own door. He looks across at 35B, which is still closed.

He goes into his own room, closes the door, and looks at his bed. He really wants to flop down into it, but then he thinks about whoever's in 35B, who he is relatively sure is not a ghost.

Harry grabs a piece of paper and scrawls a note:

> Freshers think a ghost lives here. I told them to stop bothering you even if you are a ghost. If you are, you're probably lonely. You're probably not a ghost, so maybe you have loads of friends and we haven't met because you're busy with them all the time. If you are a ghost, maybe you can knock on my door, or leave a message in the bathroom mirror. Wouldn't want you to be lonely!  
\- Harry (35A)

He adds his mobile number to the bottom of the note so whoever's in 35B can text him if they want, then opens his door, crosses the corridor, and slips it under the door of 35B. He waits for a moment, then shakes his head when of course there's no immediate response because of course there isn't a ghost living in 35B. That would be ridiculous.

**October**

Harry doesn't hear from 35B for a while. He goes to lectures and study groups and nights out at the pub with friends. Sometimes when he comes home, he looks at the door to 35B and wonders who lives there, but then he shrugs, hopes the freshers are leaving them alone, and goes into 35A.

When he does hear from 35B, it's halfway through October and he gets a series of texts:

_I'm not a ghost_

_Freshers are leaving me alone_

_so thanks for that I guess_

_This is 35B_

Harry sends back a thumbs-up emoji. Then he thinks that seems inadequate and chews on his lip while he sends back a real text:

_Glad they're leaving you alone! Guess you're not a ghost if you're texting. Can ghosts text?_

35B writes back:

_are ghosts even real?_

_guess they could_

_but they wouldn't have their own number_

Harry chuckles.

_I don't think they are real._

_It would be hard to text a ghost back._

35B sends him a laughing emoji. Harry waits, but he doesn't get anything else. He shrugs and saves the number in his phone under 35B.

Harry comes home from a party late on the Friday night before Halloween to find a group of freshers - not the same ones from the first time - giggling outside of 35B.

Harry's a bit pissed. He blinks a few times, and pulls himself together. "What is going on here?" he asks as authoritatively as he can manage.

Harry's not the only one a bit pissed. The freshers shuffle and giggle. Harry looks at them sternly.

"We wanted to visit the ghost," one of them spills.

"It's not a ghost," Harry tells them.

"But it might be," one of them says, all earnest and wide-eyed. "Everyone knows ghosts are active at Halloween."

"It's not Halloween," Harry says. "And leave them alone." He steps to one side and points down the corridor, away from the alcove that holds his room and 35B.

The freshers grumble. Harry keeps pointing sternly. The freshers collectively look at 35B, and then around again at Harry, and then they take off, still giggling and looking back.

Harry watches to make sure they go before he unlocks his door and goes in. His phone buzzes just after he shuts the door behind himself. It's a text from 35B:

_thanks_

Harry sends back:

_You're welcome. Are you alright?_

There's a long pause.

_sucks_

_halloween's going to be worse_

Harry hadn't thought about that.

_Want to come over then? Watch movies or something?_

There's an even longer pause.

_maybe_

Harry figures that's probably a no and lets it go.

Harry stays in on Halloween proper. By half eight, he's told three individual freshers and another group of five to leave 35B alone.

_thanks_

Harry's surprised to get the text. He thinks for a minute before he texts back.

_Do you want to come over? Avoid them bothering you?_

There's a long, long wait, and then he gets a flurry of texts:

_i'm not a ghost_

_i'm cursed_

_i'm invisible_

_that's why they think i'm a ghost_

_people can't hear me if i talk_

All of that is more of a surprise than 35B texting him in the first place. Cursed. Being cursed is extremely rare. 35B is the first cursed person Harry has known. He thinks for a minute before he texts back so he won't fuck it up.

_Bring your phone. You can text me while we watch a movie. I'll let you choose._

_As long as it's not scary. I don't like scary movies._

_What's your name?_

There's a pause before Harry gets another text.

_louis_

_NOT lewis_

Harry's chuckling when there's a knock at his door. He pulls it open and looks up from his phone. There's no one there.

"Louis?" he asks.

A hand he can't see pushes him out of the way. It's weird. Harry pretends it's not. "What do you want to watch?"

_sit down so i can sit without you sitting on me_

"I wouldn't sit on you." Harry doesn't know where Louis is, so he aims his chiding look at the room in general.

_of course you would_

_you can't see me_

He has a point. Harry grabs his laptop and sits on his bed with his legs stretched out in front of him. He can feel the bed dip when Louis sits next to him. Weird. He pulls up Netflix.

_don't let go of your laptop_

"Okay," Harry says. "Why would I?"

Louis doesn't answer, but the mouse pointer on his screen starts to move. Harry watches while letters type themselves into the search box and the mouse clicks on Casper.

_too scary?_

Harry laughs. "No. I've seen it before."

_me too_

_when i was a kid_

_and i've got 4 younger sisters_

"Four? Wow. I have one, and she's older."

_so not the same thing at all_

Louis follows that up with the tongue stuck out emoji.

Harry nudges Louis with his shoulder, carefully since he's not totally sure where Louis is.

Louis nudges back, firmer, and stays there while they watch the movie.

They can hear people in the corridor, giggling and knocking on Louis's door. Harry chooses to ignore it until they get too disruptive. But then he starts wondering about it, like how does it work that people know something and think Louis's a ghost.

_i can feel you wanting to ask me questions_

Harry jumps, and then turns from his phone to Louis. They're probably too close for people who just met, but he can't see Louis, and that's throwing him off. "I don't want to be rude."

He can feel Louis's shrug.

_it's fine_

_you'll know if i don't want to answer_

"How does it work? Like, obviously you can touch things and you can go to uni."

_anything i'm holding or wearing is invisible_

_i'm invisible, can't be heard_

_i can interact with the physical world_

Louis nudges Harry with an elbow as if to prove it, and then a phone appears on the bed next to them, then disappears again.

"Huh," Harry says. He picks up the laptop and holds it out to the side, toward Louis.

Louis texts him an eye-roll emoji, then the laptop disappears into thin air, and reappears a moment later when it gets set back down into Harry's hands.

Harry looks at the laptop, and the blank space next to him. "How does that work with lectures and stuff?"

_student support and wellbeing has a cursed support office_

_they tell lecturers & tutors about it, set up things so i can type comments for class_

_worst part is i wanted to do drama_

Harry winces. "Oh, shit."

_yeah_

_ask me something interesting_

Harry takes that to mean they're not close enough to have a conversation about that. He considers for a moment, and then knows exactly what he's going to ask. "Since no one can see you, do you ever just, you know, not get dressed?"

_HAROLD!!!!_

Harry can feel Louis shaking with what feels like laughter, so he doesn't take the admonishment too seriously. "Well, do you?"

_nah, me I get too cold_

_and no one knows what will break the curse_

_could end up starkers in a lecture_

Harry barks out a laugh.

_funny til it happens to you_

Harry nudges Louis's shoulder. "That first time I went out to shoo the freshers away, I was only in my pants."

Louis sends him a string of crying laughing emojis.

Harry giggles, and it turns into the two of them leaning on each other laughing for a bit.

"Must be lonely," Harry ventures when they've calmed down.

_sometimes_

Harry frowns. "How do you feel about hugs?"

_love em_

Hugging an invisible person is a little harder than it seems, but Louis knows what he's doing, and they get there after a minute. Louis's smaller than Harry, but solid. Harry keeps his arm around Louis's shoulders when he pulls away.

They watch movies until it's gone two, when Harry shoos away the last lingering freshers and Louis crosses the corridor to his own room.

**November**

Harry texts with Louis off and on, and they hang out to watch movies a couple more times. Harry tells some of his mates about Louis, too, and they're hanging out in Harry's room one night when Niall says, "Invite him over."

"Yeah?" Harry says.

"Yeah," Liam says. "He's probably lonely."

Harry takes Zayn's shrug as an agreement and texts Louis.

_I have some friends over. Want to join us? I'll put you in a group chat so you can talk to people. Door's unlocked._

Louis comes over a few minutes later, the door opening by itself.

"Hi!" Harry creates a group chat with all five of them.

_hi_

Zayn says, "Huh."

"It's nice to meet you," Liam says. He looks like he doesn't know what to do without being able to shake Louis's hand.

"D'you want some crisps?" Niall holds out the bag.

The bag crinkles while Louis takes some.

"Oh," Harry says. "There's nowhere for you to sit." He's crowded onto his bed with Liam and Niall, and Zayn has the chair at his desk. Louis texts the group chat before Harry can offer to move to the floor.

_don't move_

_i'm going to sit on you_

That sets Zayn and Niall to snickering. Louis sends them all the middle finger emoji, which only makes them laugh harder.

Louis sits on Harry's lap, and adjusts to make himself comfortable. He's a solid weight on Harry's thighs and leaning against his chest, and it's weird because he doesn't give off heat and Harry can put his arms around him and still see his phone through him.

"That's really weird," Liam says, and then he turns red. "I'm sorry. That was rude."

_nah_

_it is weird_

"Do you ever prank people?" Niall asks.

_sometimes_

_mostly my sisters_

_turns out it's not as much fun when there's no chance you'll get caught_

"Is it like being a superhero?" Zayn asks.

_never understood superheroes and their whole my powers make me so lonely thing before_

_harry's my superhero_

_saving me from freshers and all_

Louis does some sort of swoony movement that collapses more of his weight onto Harry's chest.

Harry laughs and tickles Louis's stomach, which makes him flail about in a way that Harry can feel but can't see.

"I don't understand why we can't hear you," Liam says with a concerted frown. "You can affect the physical world, and sound is just movement in the air. You should be able to talk to people."

"Liam's doing a music production course," Harry explains.

_dunno_

_doesn't work that way_

"But it doesn't make sense!" Liam looks properly outraged.

Louis sends them a shrug emoji.

_curses don't have to make sense_

"If you ever want to be a superhero," Zayn says, "count me in." He's drawn one foot up onto the chair and is drawing on it with a Sharpie.

_skinny little thing like you?_

_i'll take my chances with harold_

Harry resists the urge to bury his smile in Louis's shoulder since it won't do anything to hide it.

Louis becomes part of their group. He plays pranks with Niall and even ropes Liam into it a few times. He hangs over Zayn's shoulder and texts constant commentary while Zayn draws an invisible superhero comic. He very patiently submits to Liam's various attempts to find a way to record his voice. He blows in and out of Harry's room, leaving him notes and watching movies and draping his limbs all over him.

Louis comes over when they both get back to uni after reading week. He sprawls across most of Harry's bed, his head on Harry's shoulder. They watch Bake Off episodes they've already seen and tell each other stories about being home for the break.

_love my sisters i do_

_i miss them already_

Harry puts his arm around Louis and cuddles him closer.

Louis turns into it. A few minutes later, and he shifts all the way into Harry's lap. He leans his shoulder against Harry's chest.

_too cheesy to say i like having friends?_

_i'm not so lonely anymore_

Harry snuggles him and presses his face to Louis's hair. "Nah. I'm glad you're not lonely. Wouldn't want you to be a lonely ghost."

_not a ghost!!!!_

Harry laughs and squeezes Louis so tightly he flails and elbows at Harry until he loosens his grip. "My ghostly best mate."

Louis goes still for a moment.

_am i?_

_your best mate?_

Harry shifts to put his chin on Louis's shoulder, his cheek next to Louis's. He can feel Louis's body against his, and he's getting used to the way there isn't any heat coming off of it. "Yep. My very best not a ghost mate."

Louis sends him a string of heart emojis.

**December**

Harry wakes up because his phone is buzzing. He grabs it up and finds that although it feels like the middle of the night, it's only just gone eleven. That's what he gets for falling asleep in the middle of his reading.

_it's too bloody cold_

_harry_

_harry i'm cold_

_HAROLD_

_are you there?_

A text with a string of cold face emojis arrives while Harry is reading Louis's other texts.

_I was asleep._

_Do you want to come over?_

Harry's barely sent the text when he hears the door across the corridor open and close, followed closely by his own door opening and closing.

_why were you sleeping with the lights on?_

"I was reading, and I fell asleep." Harry shakes his hair forward, scrubs his hands through it, and pulls it back. He gathers up his books and puts them on the nightstand. Then he sits up against the headboard, tucks his feet under the duvet, and holds it up so Louis can join him.

Louis dives in, cuddling up to Harry's side and jerking the duvet up to his shoulders.

_why is it so cold?_

"It's December."

_it's too cold_

Harry leans across Louis to get his laptop. The duvet twists and pulls against him, more than it should, which means Louis's clinging to it.

"I'm just getting my laptop."

Harry doesn't see Louis's response until he sits back, laptop in hand.

_but it's COLD_

Harry starts the next episode in their endless Bake Off rewatch before he wraps both arms around Louis, pulling the duvet with him. Louis feels larger and squishier than usual, like he's wearing a lot of layers.

"How much clothing are you wearing?" Harry asks.

Louis pokes him in the stomach before he texts back.

_a lot_

_it's cold!_

_we're not all nudist furnaces like you harold_

Harry throws back his head with laughter. He can feel the shaking that means Louis's laughing too.

"You're glad I'm a furnace," Harry says.

_it comes in handy_

Louis snuggles in close, his head tucked under Harry's chin. It's almost too warm for Harry, but he doesn't protest and just lets Louis use him to warm up.

They gather in Harry's room the last night before the Christmas holidays. Liam has the chair, with Niall and Zayn sitting on the bed next to Harry and Louis in his usual place on Harry's lap.

"I'm looking forward to my mum's cooking," Zayn says.

"You're home all the time," Niall says, which is an exaggeration, but not much of one.

"For weekends," Zayn says, "not for a proper stay."

_im looking forward to seeing my sisters_

_not looking forward to them splitting holidays with their dad_

Harry squeezes Louis and rests his cheek on the top of his head. "Gemma and I go to my dad's for New Year's. We wouldn't be away from Mum for Christmas."

_christmas morning at mum's, afternoon at their dad's_

"Text us," Liam says. "I mean, text us anyway, but on Christmas. If you're lonely. Text us."

_awww leemo_

Liam's cheeks turn pink.

"He's right," Zayn says.

"Course he is," Harry says. "Text us whenever you want."

_going to regret that when i text you at all hours_

Louis follows that up with a devil emoji.

Harry pokes Louis's stomach. "You do that now."

_do not_

"Do too," Niall says, at the same time Zayn says, "Yes you do," and Liam nods.

_betrayed by my best mates_

A string of crying faces appears on Harry's phone screen while the rest of them are laughing, and then a second and a third. Harry can tell that Louis's not moving any more than is required to text, so he can't be too upset with them.

When Niall says he has to leave, because he has an early flight in the morning, they all say goodbye, with lots of very confusing hugs as Louis gets in everyone's way and sends them laughing emojis as he does it.

Louis hugs Harry last, and Harry gets a text just to him while he does.

_i think ill miss you most of all_

Harry kisses the top of his head and squeezes him tighter.

**January**

Louis does text on Christmas, all of them taking turns to keep him company in their group chat between their own family celebrations. He texts on New Year's Eve, too, all of them sending a flurry of party emojis at midnight.

Louis texts Harry a string of kissy faces.

Harry's had a few glasses of champagne at that point, and he grins down at his phone for a long minute before texting a string of kisses and hearts right back at Louis. He's drunk enough that he has to tuck his tongue into the corner of his mouth and put all his concentration into writing a coherent text.

_You're my very best mate and you deserve the very best year._

He follows it up with another string of kisses and hearts.

_harrrooolllldddd_

_you're my best mate too_

_love you_

Louis's texts are interspersed with kisses and hearts.

Harry means to write more, but he gets pulled away by Gemma and only has time to send one quick text.

_Love you too._

He doesn't get back to his phone until the morning. There's a text just to him from Louis that's a long string of hearts. There's also a text from Louis on the group chat.

_lads this is already the best year_

Harry replies to both of them with hearts.

The morning they're all set to go back to uni, Harry wakes up to an early morning text from Louis to the group chat.

_got a surprise for you lads_

Harry promptly texts back.

_What is it?_

It takes Liam and Zayn texting variations of the same thing before Louis writes back midmorning.

_can't tell you_

_it's a SURPRISE_

They needle each other about it, all of them from their separate travels back.

Louis's the last one to get back, taking the latest train he can so he can spend as much time with his family as possible. The rest of them are gathered in Harry's room, catching up on all the stories that are best told in person, by the time Louis texts to let them know he's back.

_We're in my room. Come over!_

Harry's listening for it, so he hears the familiar sounds of Louis's door opening and closing, Louis's footsteps in the corridor, and Harry's own door opening and closing.

What's not familiar is the boy who comes with the sounds. Black sweatpants and bright yellow hoodie. Fluffy brown hair, gorgeous smile. Smaller than Harry. Shoes Harry's seen dropped on the floor at the side of his bed when Louis came to his from outside and took off his shoes after he sat down.

Louis flings his arms wide open. "Lads!" The first time Harry's heard his voice. "Are you surprised?"

"Fucking hell," Zayn says. He grins, and he's the first one to get up and hug Louis, the closest one to him.

Liam and Niall get to to him next, both beaming, and Harry's last because he trips over his own feet and almost falls getting off the bed.

They're all talking at once, a jumble of voices overlapping.

"How did-"

"-tell us-"

"-understand the word 'surprise'?"

"-your sisters-"

"I can't believe-"

Louis grins and laughs, and they all pile on him in hugs and back slaps and grins.

Harry keeps hold of him the longest, the last one with his arms wrapped around Louis. Louis lets him, but squirms around so Harry's behind him, arms around Louis's waist, while everyone else looks at him, visible now. He has a scent, which he never did before, slight tang of sweat from traveling and something almost spicy that might be a cologne or his shampoo. Harry presses his nose into Louis's hair to smell more of it.

"I don't know," Louis says. He pushes his hair away from his face, a gesture Harry's never seen before. "I just woke up on New Year's and," he makes a ta-da! gesture at his body, "there I was."

"That's almost a week!" Liam says.

Louis leans back against Harry, his hands settling onto Harry's arms. "I wanted it to be a _surprise_, Leemo."

Zayn rubs his chin. "Dunno we would have believed it anyway, all the pranks you play."

Louis points at him. "Exactly right. And now you get to see my beautiful face."

Harry takes Louis's chin in his hand and turns his head toward him. They're too close for him to see all of it at once, just details: the shape of his eyes, the fringe of his hair falling over his forehead. "It is a beautiful face."

"Of course it is."

Harry's pretty sure he can see Louis's cheeks turning pink before he twists his chin out of Harry's grip.

They settle back down, Louis sitting on Harry's lap as usual, except not because now he's visible and warm.

Harry's tired and happy they're all back together and so warm with Louis on his lap, and he falls asleep while the rest of them are still talking.

A shout in the corridor jerks Harry awake. He gets up, stumbling to the door from where he was half slumped on his bed. There are freshers outside his door, and Louis in the door across the corridor giving them a stern dressing-down.

Harry leans against the doorjamb and watches. Louis's good at it, probably all those sisters he has, or the time he had to craft lectures he couldn't deliver while he was still cursed.

The freshers slink off down the corridor. Louis watches them, arms crossed over his chest, until they turn the corner. Then he drops his arms and grins at Harry. "Not bad, eh?"

"Like you don't even need me." Harry says it lightly, but he kind of means it in a sad way. He liked being able to help Louis.

"Of course I need you," Louis scoffs. He pulls his hands up into the sleeves of his jumper. "Now that they got me out of bed, I'm cold."

Harry pushes his door open wider. "Want to come over?"

Louis closes his door with a decisive snap and dashes across the corridor and into Harry's room. "You're my favorite nudist furnace."

Harry chuckles and closes the door behind them. He takes the time to wash his face and clean his teeth before he strips down to his pants. Louis's not entirely wrong about the nudist label.

Louis's also watching him, with an openly admiring look, from where he's already curled up under Harry's duvet.

Harry raises his eyebrows and preens a little. "Like what you see?"

Louis's cheeks turn pink, and he hides them behind his sleeve-covered hands. "Oh my God. I forgot you could see me."

It's adorable, and hot. Harry gets into bed with him. "Have you been looking at me like that this whole time?"

"Oh my God," Louis moans again. "You're very fit. A very fit nudist." He says it from behind his hands.

Harry beams. "If you move your hands I can kiss you."

Louis moves his hands just enough to peer at Harry with one eye. "Kiss me."

"If you move your hands so I can."

Louis peers at him suspiciously for a moment longer before he moves his hands and Harry can lean in and kiss him. It's a sweet first kiss, gentle press of lips together, Harry putting one arm around Louis and one of Louis's covered hands resting on Harry's hair.

"You don't want me just for my body, do you?" Louis asks. It sounds like a joke, and like there's a real worry under it.

"No," Harry says. He smirks at Louis. "But I do want your body." He squeezes Louis's bum for good measure.

"Harold!" Louis presses one hand to his chest. "What kind of boy do you think I am?"

"A boy who hasn't been snogged in far too long," Harry says.

Louis maintains his affronted look for a moment longer before he drops it and shrugs. "Yeah, okay, I am that kind of boy."

"Not for long," Harry promises.

"Harold, that was a terrible line."

"But it's going to work," Harry says, and then he sets to proving it. Louis doesn't object.


End file.
